The present invention relates to a lens-fitted film unit wherein each of films of two or more types each having a different number of exposures can be loaded at need, and an exposure counter plate on which the number of exposures for unexposed frames is indicated with numerals or symbols is used in common for the films of various types, and to a production method of the lens-fitted film unit.
With regard to a lens-fitted film unit, a film having a different number of exposures is loaded despite the same camera specifications for shipment of the lens-fitted film unit.
On the other hand, an exposure counter plate which indicates the number of exposures with a numeral or with a symbol is provided on a lens-fitted film unit, and the exposure counter plate is arranged so that it may be recognized through an exposure counter window provided on an enclosure member. This exposure counter plate is an exposure counter plate of the so-called backward counting type on which the number of exposures for unexposed frames is indicated. Therefore, in a lens-fitted film unit wherein a film of 39 exposures is loaded, for example, it is constituted so that the numeral indicated in the course of the first exposure is 39, and this numeral is deducted one by one in each exposure so that the remaining number of exposures may be made out.
Incidentally, it is difficult to indicate all numerals on the exposure counter plate, and therefore, the numerals are skipped one numeral apart or two numerals apart to be indicated, and in some cases, a symbol or symbols such as a small circle or small circles are indicated between the indicated numerals.
In this case, in lens-fitted film units wherein two or more types of films each having a different number of exposures are loaded despite the same camera specifications, it is only the exposure counter plate that varies depending on the film variations. However, molding of an exposure counter plate that varies depending on film variation is a waste of an expense for metallic molds. Therefore, the numerals up to the maximum number of exposures to be used are formed to be convex on the exposure counter plate, and the numbers of exposures including the number of exposures corresponding to the film used and numerals smaller than the number of exposures are colored by means of roll leaf hot stamping. For example, in the lens-fitted film unit used commonly for a film of 39 exposures and a film of 27 exposures, the numerals up to the figure of 39 are molded on the exposure counter plate, and when a film of 39 exposures is loaded, the exposure counting plate on which all numerals and symbols are colored is used, while when a film of 27 exposures is loaded, the exposure counting plate on which the numeral 27 and numerals less than the numeral 27 and symbols are colored is used.
Incidentally, there is also available a lens-fitted film unit employing an exclusive exposure counter plate which varies depending on a film used.
As stated above, there have been prepared two types of exposure counter plates differing each other in terms of coloring in the past, to comply with films each being different from another in terms of the number of exposures. However, the exposure counter plates are alike to cause mistakes easily, and thereby, control had to be made sufficiently on the production site, which has taken a long time.
After an exposed film is taken out of a lens-fitted film unit in a photofinishing laboratory, the unit from which the film has been taken out is collected and reused by a maker of the lens-fitted film unit. In this case, the exposure counter plate varies in accordance with the number of exposures of the film loaded, even in the case of the lens-fitted film unit having the same specifications as stated above. Therefore, when a prescribed film is loaded in a reused lens-fitted film unit, an exposure counter plate complying with the number of exposures of the above-mentioned film needs to be used. For this reason, it was necessary to select exposure counter plates in advance for the collected lens-fitted film units and thereby to replace exposure counter plates when they are different.
Further, when a different and exclusive exposure counter plate is prepared in accordance with a film, the number of mistakes is reduced, but an expense of metallic molds is increased, and jobs for selection and replacement are needed when lens-fitted film units are collected.
In view of the problems mentioned above, the invention has been achieved, and its object is to provide a lens-fitted film unit wherein the exposure counting plate that is exactly the same as others can be used even when a length of the film to be loaded varies, and thereby, selection and replacement of the exposure counting plates have been made unnecessary, and to provide a production method for the lens-fitted film unit.
The object mentioned above can be attained by either one of the following Structures.
Structure 1: A lens-fitted film unit comprising a photographic film loaded in advance, a shutter, a picture taking lens, an exposure counter plate that is provided with numerals indicating the number of exposures or the number of exposed frames, and is moved in one direction for each exposure, and an exposure counter window through which the numeral on the exposure counter plate can be recognized wherein, a difference between a prescribed numeral provided on the exposure counter plate and a numeral provided to be next to the prescribed numeral and on the downstream side in the moving direction of the exposure counter plate is greatest, compared with other distances between other neighboring numerals on the aforesaid exposure counter plate.
Structure 2: The lens-fitted film unit according to Structure 1, wherein only one distance between the prescribed numeral and the neighboring numeral on the downstream side is greatest.
Structure 3: The lens-fitted film unit according to Structure 1, wherein a difference between the prescribed numeral and the immediate neighboring numeral on the downstream side is not less than 4.
Structure 4: The lens-fitted film unit according to Structure 1, wherein the prescribed numeral is either one in the range from 24 to 30.
Structure 5: The lens-fitted film unit according to Structure 1, wherein any of the first photographic film having the number of exposures representing the first number of exposures and the second photographic film having the number of exposures representing the second number of exposures that is less than the first number of exposures can be loaded in the lens-fitted film unit, and at least one of the first photographic film and the second photographic film is loaded in the lens-fitted film unit in advance, and the prescribed numeral stated above is either one of the second number of exposures, a numeral that is more than the second number of exposures by 1 and a numeral that is more than the second number of exposures by 2.
Structure 6: The lens-fitted film unit according to Structure 5, wherein, with regard to a distance between the prescribed numeral and the numeral provided to be next to the prescribed numeral and on the downstream side in the moving direction of the exposure counter plate, when the prescribed numeral is located in the exposure counter window at the uppermost position toward the upstream side in the moving direction of the exposure counter plate toward the upstream side in a way that the prescribed numeral can be observed totally through the exposure counter window, the neighboring numeral on the downstream side can not be observed through the exposure counter window, and when the prescribed numeral is located in the exposure counter window at the uppermost position toward the upstream side in the moving direction of the exposure counter plate toward the upstream side in a way that the prescribed numeral can be observed partially through the exposure counter window, the neighboring numeral on the downstream side can be observed partially through the exposure counter window.
Structure 7: The lens-fitted film unit according to Structure 4, wherein, the prescribed numeral stated above is 27, and the neighboring numeral on the downstream side is 32.
Structure 8: The lens-fitted film unit according to Structure 7, wherein, numerals from 32 up to 40 on the exposure plate are marked with a space of three numerals corresponding to three frames.
Structure 9: The lens-fitted film unit according to Structure 7, wherein, on the upstream side of the numeral 27, there are marked numerals down to 3 with a space of two frames between, and on the upstream side of 3, there is marked numeral of 1 with a space of one frame.
Structure 10: The lens-fitted film unit according to Structure 1, wherein, the numerals marked on the exposure counter are provided through at least one of molding and printing.
Structure 11: A production method for a lens-fitted film unit package comprising a step of positioning an exposure counter and a step of manufacturing a lens-fitted film unit package by packing a lens-fitted film unit with a packing member, wherein the lens-fitted film unit has therein a photographic film loaded in advance, a shutter, a taking lens, an exposure counter plate which is provided with numerals indicating the number of unexposed frames or the number of frames exposed and is moved in the fixed direction for each photographing, and an exposure counter window through which the numeral on the exposure counter plate can be observed from the outside and wherein a distance between a prescribed numeral provided on the exposure counter plate and a numeral provided to be next to the prescribed numeral and on the downstream side in the moving direction of the exposure counter plate is greatest, and wherein the prescribed numeral is positioned to be closer to the upstream side than an indicator on the exposure counter window by one frame in the moving direction of the exposure counter plate, in the step for positioning of the exposure counter plate, and the prescribed numeral is positioned to be closer to the upstream side than an indicator on the exposure counter window by one frame in the moving direction of the exposure counter plate, in the step for packing a lens-fitted film unit with a packing member.
Further, the preferable structures are as follows.
Structure 10: A lens-fitted film unit in which an exposure counter plate which is provided with numerals indicating the number of frames to be exposed or the number of exposed frames and is moved in the fixed direction for each photographing, and an exposure counter window through which the numeral marked on the exposure counter plate can be observed from the outside are provided, and two or more types of films including the first film having the first number of exposures and the second film having the second number of exposures that is less than the first number of exposures can be loaded, wherein the exposure counter plate is provided with the numeral indicating at least the second number of exposures, and with regard to a distance between the numeral and a numeral that is provided to be next to the above-mentioned numeral and on the downstream side in the moving direction of the exposure counter plate, the numeral provided on the downstream side can not be observed through the exposure counter window when located at the uppermost position toward the upstream side in the exposure counter window in the moving direction of the exposure counter plate in a way that the whole of the numeral indicating the second number of exposures can be observed, and a part of the numeral provided on the downstream side can be observed through the exposure counter window when located at the uppermost position toward the upstream side in the exposure counter window in the moving direction of the exposure counter plate in a way that a part of the numeral indicating the second number of exposures can be observed.
Structure 11: The lens-fitted film unit according to Structure 10, wherein a difference between the numeral indicating the second number of exposures and the numeral provided on the downstream side is not less than 4.
Structure 12: The lens-fitted film unit according to Structure 10 or Structure 11, wherein a distance between the numeral indicating the second number of exposures and the numeral provided on the downstream side both on the exposure counter plate is greater than other distances between other numerals.
Structure 13: The lens-fitted film unit according to either one of Structure 10-Structure 12, wherein the numeral that is provided on the exposure counter plate and indicates the second number of exposures is 27, the numeral provided on the downstream side is 32, and numerals up to 40 are marked with a space of three numerals corresponding to three frames between on the downstream side of the numeral of 32.
Structure 14: The lens-fitted film unit according to Structure 13, wherein on the upstream side of the numeral 27 provided on the exposure counter plate, there are marked numerals down to 3 with a space of two frames between, and on the upstream side of 3, there is marked numeral of 1 with a space of one frame between.
Structure 15: The lens-fitted film unit according to either one of Structure 10-Structure 14, wherein the numerals stated above are formed through at least one of molding and printing.
Structure 16: A production method for a lens-fitted film unit for producing a lens-fitted film unit described in either one of Structure 10-Structure 15, wherein a process to make the numeral indicating the second number of exposures to be positioned closer to the upstream side by one frame than a position of the indicator of the exposure counter window and a process for packing with a packing member under the condition that the indication of the exposure counter plate is closer to the upstream side by one frame, are provided.